haam4銜衔
Jyutpinghaam4
Yalehàahm
Definition
To hold something in the mouth.
colloquialanimalsdaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used to describe animals carrying objects or people holding items between their teeth. It carries a slightly more formal or descriptive tone compared to simply saying 咬, which implies biting or chewing. You will often see it in written descriptions or news reports about animals, though it remains perfectly understandable in spoken contexts.
Examples
Why is he holding a cigarette in his mouth?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 咬, which means to bite or chew. 銜 specifically focuses on the act of holding something in the mouth without necessarily applying pressure or breaking the object.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
